What most rob you of building a great team?

Stories and parables are one of the best ways to teach and share insights. The book tells a story of a new football coach struggling to turn around a high school program who gains a mentor with the influence to take him and his team to their goal.

His titular twin thieves refer to the Fear of Failure and Fear of Judgment that rob people of the success in people’s lives. The book addresses how to overcome this and share other good quotes and concepts, including:

– “When it comes to getting results: Bad leaders have hopes. Average leaders have quotes. Elite leaders have systems”

– On bad teams, nobody leads. On average teams, coaches lead. On elite teams, players lead

– The Winning Formula = People + Culture + Preparation + Execution

– Great team is created when there is an environment that rises above the Twin Thieves, that people know they can take risks without being ridiculed, exposed or embarrassed

– Focusing on culture and people is not about being soft. It is about setting high standards and hold people to those standards because you want them to be the best version of themselves

– Be intentional about who get your focus and attention. Don’t let the loudest complainers drown out the rest

‘Servant Leadership’ is a term thrown around a lot and this book advocates the need for leaders to demonstrate this quality more and more. Although the story is sports-related, it is applicable whatever you do. A fun read to reflect how we can set the attitude and environment for our team to succeed.